Choosing to Love What is True
I have been a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work for quite a while. Not only do I enjoy reading and rereading his stories of Middle Earth Hobbits, Elves, and Dwarves, but I find snatches of insight about his personal life, faith, and philosophy intriguing and inspiring as well. Recently I read on an online site the following statement: “JRR Tolkien refused to let his books be read out loud to people until after his death, preferring to keep his words ‘on the page.’”
This fascinated me. Since he was a philologist (someone who studies the history of languages), I knew from other reading that Tolkien had picked up some quirks from his studies, particularly from Medieval Norse languages and their accompanying myths. He was fluent in the Anglo-Saxon language, also known as Old English, and studied ancient Finnish. He also strongly disliked allegory and bristled at the suggestion that The Lord of the Rings was a parallel retelling of the first and second world wars. It is even said that he had a near-fanatical love of plant life, refusing to cut down or even prune overgrown trees. He was a creative man of strong and sometimes eccentric opinions.
Thus, this latest anecdote stirred a delighted sense of wonder. What might have been his thought processes motivating such reverence for written words (he was Roman Catholic) that he desired his own to be read silently?
I wanted to know more.
OUCH!
The most interesting thing I ended up learning about this, however, was that it simply was not true. Tolkien never said such a thing. He had no problem with his books being read out loud. I now believe the source I got it from meant the whole thing as a joke.
But why did I find this fabrication so fascinating?
I think its subtle quirkiness made it believable in my mind. I could somehow see such a creative man saying something like this. I knew, after all, that he wasn’t afraid to consider things that flowed against the popular current. Yes, this particular view was very odd. But it felt true. There was part of me that actually wanted it to be real.
I have often heard it said that a good lie is 90% truth. Lies aren’t useful if they’re not believable and at least somewhat attractive.
And so, I’m once again pondering the nature of deception.
Read MoreChoosing to Drop the Mask
Who wouldn’t want an opportunity like Bilbo the Hobbit? The thrills of having a magic ring. Oh, the mischievous things that could be done! In addition, there would be the tantalizing comfort that comes with the ability to turn invisible, hiding from the prying eyes of goblins, evil wizards, and judgmental or annoying people.
And there is Harry Potter with his invisibility cloak. Without it he would have been terribly vulnerable, unable to fool Lord Voldemort or slip away unseen from those dangerous predicaments.
The idea of being able to become invisible simply by putting on a piece of clothing or jewelry is more than mere childish fantasy or silly imaginations.
Many adults would happily embrace such a power.
Why?
Because there are many times in a given day, we all would love to simply hide.
Whether the desire to not be seen is brought on by fear, embarrassment, shyness, guilt, or humiliation, a hiding place is something every human, sooner or later, seeks. Ever since our ancestors, Adam and Eve, disobeyed their Maker and realized they were naked, we all have looked for ways to cover up. If not with invisibility, then a disguise or some kind of camouflage (fig leaves?). The goal always is to conceal that part of ourselves we don’t want others looking at.
Sure, there is danger out there. And hiding can help us feel safe, for the time being, from the vicious orcs or wicked sorcerers. But generally, we just don’t want others to see what’s inside, those vulnerable, guilt-ridden rooms of our hearts. We all have those deep internal chambers that if exposed will be viewed unfavorably by others. Or they will get us into some kind of trouble.
But we mainly hide those places within where it just feels there is something wrong with us.
Read MoreChoosing to Let Desperation Work
Not too long ago I had a conversation with a person who struggles with addiction. He told me how he has a goal of developing more self discipline in his life. But he finds that he always fails in his efforts. He feels that he can’t stick with anything for very long. I affirmed this desire to develop a more disciplined life and then probed a bit into how he has pursued this goal in the past. We talked about what he might do differently going forward. I then asked him how faith might be helpful. He visibly bristled and his tone became sharper.
“I’ve tried Christianity,” he spat. “But I just can’t meet all the expectations that are put on me. And of course, the Bible says that God will love me only if I can meet all of His perfect expectations.” All this was said while rolling his eyes and shaking his head.
I didn’t get a chance to adequately respond to his summation of Christianity and God’s expectations. Time ran out and he had to go. But his words got me thinking about how so many people see God. Our view of the Almighty so profoundly affects how we choose to live our lives. Somewhere in this man’s history, he had picked up the message that God is a fussy rule keeper and is not really interested in helping a person who is not already near perfect. Like so many, he sees humans as being on their own while God watches with His arms crossed, scowling in judgment.
More Information?
Of course, I think this man has it all wrong. That is not the God I have come to know and love. But what does it take for a person to change his or her view of God? I have been asking myself this question for many years.
Read MoreChoosing to Trust God’s Way
We have just finished Holy Week, and I am still reflecting on what it all means. Resurrection Sunday morning provides some hearty food for thought, considering that the followers of Christ are promised to one day experience being resurrected with new incorruptible bodies themselves. Good Friday is a bit more challenging. The Cross tends to stir offense or ridicule. But each one of Jesus’ followers have to wrestle with why he had to die a bloody death. What does it mean that Christ died for me? Christ’s death and resurrection have been and always will be the core of the Christian faith. How one responds to them determines what kind of Christ follower a person really is.
But what about that first day of Holy Week? We call it Palm Sunday. It has always been a bit of a mystery to me. Even as a child, I noticed the incongruence of Jesus being hailed the King of the Jews by applauding crowds on this day only to be arrested, beaten, mocked and killed as a criminal a few days later. Why is recognizing this day significant? Why should we still celebrate it? And what application does it carry for our daily lives today?
Read MoreChoosing the Right Memory
I forgot a friend’s name the other day. For a few moments I couldn’t recall that word that represents someone I care about. It should be so familiar to me. I felt ashamed. Fortunately, the lapse didn’t last long. But moments like these make me wonder if this means age is catching up with me. Or am I just not thinking about that person enough to keep his name fresh and alive in my memory?
Whatever the reason, forgetfulness is becoming more common. Besides people’s names, there are those book or movie titles that stay on the tip of my tongue, but I cannot bring them fully up from my memory. Jokes or stories I start to tell but then realize I can’t recall the details. It’s often a matter of focus. I can be intent on one subject while being asked about another and find it difficult to shift efficiently. Sometimes I can feel the memory I’m pursuing swirling away like a feather in a gust of wind. And the greater effort I give to grab it, the more elusive it becomes. I don’t remember it always being this way. But maybe that’s just another memory problem.
Perhaps it is age, after all.
But, I feel there can be some forgetfulness that has nothing to do with aging. How often have I forgotten God, His power, His goodness, His mercy? Particularly when I was younger, all it took was a shortfall of money, a miserable sickness, an expectation not met, or a relational hurt. My focus would be on myself, my fears, my anger so much that it felt as if everything God had promised or provided in the past never existed.
Yes, there is a forgetfulness that has nothing to do with age.
But it’s an Age-Old Problem
The irony of it all is that I so easily forget the good stuff God has done while never seeming to lose the memories of the not-so-good stuff that has happened. Left unchecked, fearful and painful memories overpower the pleasant and life-giving ones and then dominate my life. I have to choose which are going to stay in focus and get the most attention.
Read MoreChoosing Risky Love
I was 19 years old working a summer job between college semesters painting our little town’s city hall. It was a season of experiencing new life in my spiritual walk with Jesus. One day, I was overjoyed to have a conversation with a local business owner next to the government building, in which he expressed thanksgiving for all that Jesus had done in his life. I was encouraged and shared a bit of my spiritual journey. He seemed encouraged as well.
The next day, as I was high up on some scaffolding, I overheard the businessman’s conversation with a customer below in his shop. The windows were open. The exchange got heated. The businessman’s volume increased, and his language became abusive, calling the customer many foul things. I was devastated over the behavior of my Christ-following brother. And for the rest of the day and all that night I couldn’t get out of my mind all the things the man had said.
In the middle of the night, the thought occurred to me that I should talk to him about what I had heard and how it had affected me. I did not like that thought. The next morning and all through my day of work, the thought would not leave. Just before going home, I happened to see him. Trembling, I told him what I had heard and how poorly I thought it had represented Jesus. The man looked at me in shock and was speechless for a few moments. He finally waved his hand, muttering “nobody’s perfect” and walked away. For the rest of the summer, I never saw him again. I suspect he made it a point to avoid me.
Because I care?
To this day, I can’t say for sure that talking to him about his behavior was the right thing to do. I only know that I was hoping (rather naively I suppose) that he could be a true Christian brother and we could encourage and challenge one another in our faith throughout those long summer days. What I am certain of today is that there are always going to be conversations to be had that are very hard. And I have wrestled with the question over the years whether or not they’re worth having. As a husband, father, son, brother, friend, and ministry leader, why bother with bringing up difficult things with people, especially with people I want to have a good relationship with? Why not work to avoid what’s uncomfortable and “keep the peace?”
Read MoreChoosing to Go Back to Kindergarten
As a child, I remember when my Sunday school knowledge about God and the Bible became too simple and dull. I was a jaded 12-year-old, having grown up saturated with what felt like dry, moralistic lessons drawn from the pages of scripture. The words faith, hope, love, sin, humility, heaven, the cross, and resurrection stirred yawns. I had heard it all a million times. Was there anything about this Christian stuff that was fresh and exciting? New information that could capture my imagination? As a young adolescent, I began to doubt that there was anything more about Jesus worth pursuing or knowing.
Fortunately, I encountered the real presence of Jesus through some fellow high school students who experienced radical transformation when they surrendered to God. These friends who had not had the same immersion in scripture and biblical teaching seemed to appreciate it so much more. This intrigued me. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I began to appreciate the biblical education I had been given as a child. And as I have grown older, I have returned to those boring words that were hammered into me during Sunday school. I now realize that they were at the core of all I really needed to know.
Back to the Beginning
In 1986, a book was published by Robert Fulghum entitled All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.* The first essay reflects on how better the world would be if more adults would apply to their lives the principles that children are taught when they’re still quite young. He lists a few:
Read MoreChoosing to Follow Wonder
Sometimes we hear words over and over and yet never really think about the depth of their significance. Words such as faith, hope, and love are examples of ideas we talk about often as Jesus followers. They’re in the Bible, yet sometimes we need to ask ourselves what we mean by each of these. What would happen if we embraced a fuller meaning found in each of these words?
The Bible also talks about wonders. Typically, the word is used to refer to supernatural miracles. Yet, “wonder” is also an expression we use to describe experiences we do not necessarily associate with a Sunday-morning sermon. We have the Seven Wonders of the World, the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, and the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (I’m not sure why it’s always restricted to seven). I personally use the word often to refer to my thinking process. But I still have to ask myself, what exactly is a “wonder”? Or what does it mean to “wonder”?
The Glory of the Heavens
I was seven years old the summer of 1969 when I watched Neil Armstrong take the first human step onto the moon. The sense of awe I experienced, even viewing it on a 19-inch black and white television screen, is still strong with me today. The next full moon found me staring at it trying to fathom the fascination of a man actually strolling across the surface of that glowing orb. The following few years, I kept track of all the news of the Apollo space program, clipping articles from newspapers and magazines for a “Space” scrapbook. I also announced to my family that I was going to be an astronaut. The amazement and glitter eventually wore off, however, as I entered my teen years. Star Wars, with all its crazy alien creatures, came to the theaters, and my reverence for space travel began to feel childish.
Why is it that the idea of “wonder” is often associated with children? Disney has made a lucrative business of stirring the childish sense of awe for kids of all ages. But for adults, does it mean more than a silly, immature pleasure of remembering back when I was supposed to believe in flying elephants and singing dwarfs?
An online dictionary defines “wonder” as a feeling of amazement and admiration, caused by something beautiful, remarkable, or unfamiliar. And it is true that children are most susceptible to this feeling, or at least they are the ones who have the least inhibitions for expressing it.
Read MoreChoosing to Resist
In every house I’ve lived, sooner or later, we have to deal with pests. We’ve battled everything from snakes to bats, all looking to make a home with us. But of course, the most common little irritating critter has been the mouse. Unfortunately for him, but thankfully for us, this creature’s downfall is almost always its palate. I can drop a tidbit of something savory onto a trap and be confident that it will seduce and then allow me to eliminate any rodent within sniffing distance. What dumb little critters they are to let the growling in their stomachs obliterate their ability to discern their impending destruction.
But stupidity also perches at the very top of the predatory chain. Depending on what my mind, emotions or body is craving, I easily ignore or minimize the potential consequences of my choices. The enticement is called temptation. And its allurement defies my rational thought and spiritual values. My feelings don’t actually catch up with what’s truly at stake until I taste the bait and experience the pain of the sprung trap. And even then, I don’t always learn the lesson.
For those who are not sure where temptation leads, the Bible is clear: “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death” (James 1:14-15 NLT).
Yikes! It’s the starting point of a very nasty ending. And for all those who care about what God thinks, it is nothing to mess around with. For a Jesus follower, it’s vital to recognize what tempts me to disobey God and wisely install defenses against such deadly enticements.
Fight It!
Jesus urged His followers to take radical preventative steps, saying we should identify the sources of our temptations and sin and gouge them out or slice them off (Matthew 5:29-30). He metaphorically speaks of our eyes and our hands as being the causes, but of course we all know that our physical body parts are not where temptations begin. They take root somewhere deep within, among our insecurities and fears, and they only use our body parts to accomplish their purpose—our destruction. Jesus says don’t coddle any of it. Find their points of supply and their triggers and cut them off.
Read MoreChoosing to Notice My Famous Neighbor
It’s a classic idea for a romance story. A prince, a princess, or a wealthy heir for some reason goes undercover and lives as an ordinary, unassuming character. In the course of everyday life, someone gets to know the royal or moneyed individual as just a common, regular person and falls in love. And then at a strategic moment in the story, it is revealed that the one he or she loves is so much more than was first recognized. Wedding bells soon are ringing.
Audiences seem to never really get tired of imagining this kind of scenario. It gratifies a certain desire for happiness – the kind that jumps out and pleasantly surprises. Choosing someone even when his or her fame or glory is hidden or completely unknown reveals a purity of love that we all find attractive. But does this kind of thing ever really happen outside of a Hallmark movie?
In the essay, The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis touches on this subject in his own unique way. He starts by exploring human desire and the ways we work to satisfy it. He challenges the reader to see that God is not asking us to repress all our longings and cravings. Rather, our Maker is wanting us to learn to redirect our desires and appreciate the pleasures He designed for us to live in and enjoy forever. The form of bliss Lewis explores is that of being seen, applauded, and praised by someone we recognize as greater than ourselves. This sort of pleasure is obvious in a Golden Retriever as it relishes in its master’s praise. It is also noticeable in a child who is verbally affirmed by a teacher or parent. And even adults, whether they admit it or not want to hear words of support and encouragement from a boss who has high expectations. To be seen and praised by one who is in an authority position can stir a heart on to greater accomplishment, touching a longing we might not even know we had.
Where does this desire come from and . . . where can it take us?
Read More
Choose This Day 